Let the races begin!

Hello again! This Saturday I completed my first 5K of 2011, the Lady Track Shack 5K. I had a rough morning so my run didn't quite live up to my expectations, but that's ok. This 5K marked the one year anniversary of my first 5K ever! I must say bad run or not the difference is remarkable. I felt like a totally different person in this race than I did a year ago. This past week my my friend Erin did a practice 3 mile run and we finished it with in 45-48 minutes including chat time. So I know what I'm capable of which is why I wasn't upset with my time. Here are some pictures from Saturday's race:

I finished the race with this remarkable woman. We motivated each other through out the race trying to keep up with each other.

Ran with my friend Erin. She rocked the 5K and accomplished her goal time!

Here's a couple pictures from the Lady Track Shack 5K in 2010:

My time in 2010: 58:11

My time in 2011: 50:54

On another note my half marathon is in 20 days! 20!! I can't believe it. This weekend my Mom got me my running shirt and I got pants for $4.50! Whoo!! The outfit is all picked out. Now all I need is confidence. Anyone know where I can pick some of that up? I'm all out! I need the confidence to believe that I can finish it. I must admit, the thought of not completing the half marathon is consuming me. I know I didn't prepare well enough to run the whole thing and that's ok. I just want to finish it. I will be mortified if I cannot maintain my pace and get hauled away.

I set this goal for myself SO long ago. At this point I was supposed to be 90-100 lbs lighter and ready to start a family at the completion of the race. Although that is not the case at this point; I am still going to give this half marathon a try. I'm not backing out of this challenge. If I can't finish it, well then I can't. There's always next year, but I can't not do it and then forever wonder if I was capable of it. If I pull this off it will be the greatest test of my endurance and the biggest accomplishment of my life. Right now I'm concentrating on eating healthy, working out, running and mentally preparing myself for the run. Mental preparation is just as important as physical preparation. It astounds me how negative I can be while running. My mind constantly tells me that I can't do it, that I'm too tired, that I'm too overweight, that I'm incapable yet, as I'm thinking all of this...I'm still going, my legs are still moving, and I'm still running, then suddenly I stop. The negative thoughts take over and I have to push myself to overcome them. It's a vicious cycle! Why are we more apt to accept failure in our lives that success?  Is it because success leads to the unknown? What do you think?

"Runners just do it - they run for the finish line even if someone else has reached it first."  ~Author Unknown

"Only think of two things - the gun and the tape.  When you hear the one, just run like hell until you break the other."  ~Sam Mussabini